She even brought him coffee with her own hands.

Perhaps these little womanly attentions soothed him insensibly--though he was so used to them by this time that he was almost tempted to take them as a matter of course--for his face lost its strained, weary look.
"There is a beautiful fire in your room, Mr.Herrick," she observed cheerfully before she left him.

"I shall tell Amias that you are tired, and that he must not expect you in the studio to-night." Malcolm smiled gratefully.

"What a good little soul you are, Verity--you always say just the right thing! Tell Goliath, with my love, that I am busy, so there must be no pipe and no palaver to-night.
I shall have to be up betimes too;" and then he took counsel with Verity as to the hour when his breakfast should be served.
It was quite true that he had business waiting to be done; nevertheless, as he lay back in his easy-chair by the fire, he could not bring himself to take up his pen.

At this very hour on the previous evening he had been with Elizabeth; the dear face--dearer, alas! than ever--had been before him; the changing, characteristic voice, so musical yet so uneven, had been in his ears! He recalled her look as she stood so wrapt in thought in the alcove before she perceived his presence.